Gavin Sykes scored 20 as TCU buried Ottawa with a second-quarter surge, six double-figure scorers and a dominant rebounding effort in Costa Rica.
FORT WORTH - TCU basketball didn’t travel to Costa Rica just to collect passport stamps. The Horned Frogs used their foreign tour to test lineups, build chemistry and give their revamped roster an early taste of winning together.
They’re coming home unbeaten.
TCU overwhelmed the University of Ottawa, 99-70, Sunday in San Jose, completing a 2-0 trip behind another explosive performance from Gavin Sykes and one of the most balanced scoring efforts the Frogs could’ve hoped to produce.
Six TCU players reached double figures, led by Sykes’ 20 points. The sophomore topped the scoring column for the second consecutive game and knocked down three of the Frogs’ seven 3-pointers.
After scoring 20 in Saturday’s 93-66 victory, Sykes gave TCU an encouraging glimpse of the offensive jump he could make this season.
Ottawa actually landed the first punch, racing to a 16-6 advantage. TCU didn’t panic. The Frogs closed the opening quarter on a 14-4 run, pulled even at 20 and then ripped the game open.
TCU poured in 34 points during the second quarter while holding Ottawa to 14, turning a slow beginning into a commanding 54-34 halftime lead.
By then, the Gee-Gees were chasing a team that was getting production from almost everywhere.
Fifth-year guard Tanner Toolson scored 12 of his 18 points after halftime, hit five of his six free-throw attempts and grabbed six rebounds.
Trent Lincoln added 13 points, three 3-pointers, five rebounds and three assists.
Luke Bamgboye, Micah Robinson and West Virginia transfer DJ Thomas each finished with 11 points. Thomas also controlled the glass, collecting a game-high nine rebounds as TCU crushed Ottawa, 42-20, in the rebounding battle.
The Frogs’ ball security was another positive. They committed only nine turnovers while forcing Ottawa into 14, allowing TCU to maintain control after its early stumble.
Coach Jamie Dixon also used the exhibition to experiment. Bamgboye, Lincoln, Sykes and Thomas entered the starting lineup alongside Robinson after TCU opened the tour with a different group Saturday.
Ryan Hunt contributed five points, Brock Harding and Xavier Edmonds scored four apiece and Gavin Murphy added two.
Foreign-tour results won’t count when the season begins, but the work still matters. TCU received production from veterans, transfers and developing players while responding well to adversity in both games.
The Frogs left Costa Rica with two comfortable victories, a deeper rotation and a sophomore scorer in Sykes who looks ready to demand a much larger role.
